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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
SYLLABUS 16 

Contribution from the States Relations Service, A. C. TRUE, Director 
In cooperation with the Bureau of Animal Industry, A. D. MELVIN, Chief 



Washington, D, C. 



Originally issued July 1, 1914 



ILLUSTRATED LECTURE ON SWINE 
IN THE UNITED STATES 



By 

WALTER B. JESSEE, B. S., Junior Animal Husbandman 
Bureau of Animal Industry 



CONTENTS 



Introduction 1 

Construction of Houses 2 

Practical Conveniences and Safety De- 
vices 3 

Sanitation and Disease Control .... 3 

Selection of Breeding Stock 4 

Management 5 

Cost of Production ......... 6 



Page 

Feeding Mineral Matter 9 

Cost in Gains from Birth to Maturity . . 9 

Farm Economies with Swine 9 

Types of Hogs 10 

Quality and Condition 11 

Breeds • 12 

Appendix 14 

References 15 







[Reprinted February 12, 1916) 



WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1916 



Mentgraph 






D. of D. 
FEB 13 1916 



Originally issued July 1, 1914 
Reprinted February 12, 1916. 

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 

STATES RELATIONS SERVICE. 

A. C. TRUE, Director. 
In cooperation with the Bureau of Animal Industry, A. D. Melvin, Chief. 



SYLLABUS 16— ILLUSTRATED LECTURE ON SWINE 
IN THE UNITED STATES. 1 

By Walter B. Jessee, B. S., 
" 
Junior Animal Husbandman, Bureau of Animal Industry. 



INTRODUCTION. 

On January 1, 1915, there were 64,618,000 swine on farms 
in the United States, having an average value of $9.87 per head 
and representing a total value of $637,479,000. The dis- 
tribution among the several sections of the country was as 
follows : 

Number and value of swine in different sections of the United States Jan.l, 1915. 



Section. 



North Atlantic 

South Atlantic 

Nx)rth Central east of Mississippi 
North Central west of Mississippi 

South Central 

Far Western 



Number. 



2,551,000 
7,074,000 
15, 812, 000 
22,988,000 
13,467,000 
2, 726, 000 



Value per 
head. 



$13. 97 
8.01 
10.80 
10.47 
7.79 
10.43 



Total value. 



$35,646,000 
56,717,000 
170, 808, 000 
240,860,000 
105,006,000 
28,442,000 



The total value here given is about 38 per cent less than 
that of the wheat crop of the United States in 1914. 

The average age at which hogs are usually marketed in the 
United States is 11 months. The lowest average for any 
State is 9 months, in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New 
York, and Michigan, while the highest is 15 months, in 
Louisiana. 

Exports of swine in 1914 amounted to 10, 122 animals, valued 
at $133,751. As far as ascertainable, exports of pork and its 
products totaled 921,913,029 pounds during 1914, while the 
exports of pork lard amounted to 481,457,792 pounds. 

i This syllabus has been prepared by direct cooperation between the Bureau of Animal 
Industry as regards subject matter and J. M. Stedman of the States Relations Service as regards 
pedagogical form. It is designed to aid farmers' institute and other extension lecturers in pre- 
senting the subj ect before popular audiences. The syllabus is illustrated with 53 lantern slides. 
The numbers in the margins of the pages refer to lantern slides as listed in the appendix. 



20690°— 16 



Cf^ 



View. 



2 1<i\ ' 

CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES. W^ 

view No single type of hog house can be recommended that will 

2 meet all conditions. The hog house of the continuous or 
combination type has advantages in housing because it gives 
storage room for feed and bedding, saves labor, affords more 
protection from the cold, and permits the feeder to mix feeds 

3 and care for his hogs indoors, thus saving heat and energy that 
would be required to keep warm in a smaller house. In case 
of an outbreak of disease, sanitation is more difficult in a hog 

4, house of the continuous type. 

The hog house should be so constructed that it will afford 

5 the greatest amount of light at the proper time. The windows 
should be placed at the proper height to secure the maximum 
of sunlight at farrowing time. The interior arrangement 
should be carefully worked out and feed and mixing rooms, 
scales, and watering troughs put in so that the work of feeding 

6 and handling the herd can be accomplished with the least labor 
possible. Except in the coldest parts of the United States, a 
double walled house is not needed, and a single-walled house 
is quite as serviceable and more economical. No house should 
be built that will permit an accumulation of filth and trash. 
Proper flooring is essential. Concrete offers a floor that can 
be relied upon and is permanent if properly put in. A wood 

7 or cork brick sleeping pen is needed with a concrete floor. 

8 The hog cot or individual house has its advantages because 
it is easily moved from one pen or pasture to another, affords 

9 a quiet, free house to a sow and litter or to the herd boar, is 
cheaper to construct, and gives a good amount of air, light, and 
opportunity for exercise. It can be moved away from the 
herd in time of an outbreak of disease. In summer it can be 
opened and provides a shaded and cool place for the hog. 
A cot to be of value must usually have a floor to keep the hogs 

10 from lying on the damp ground. If the hog plant is on a 
well-drained dry soil, flooring may possibly be left out. If 
the cot is to be used for farrowing purposes, it should have a 
guard rail around the sides to keep the sow from lying on the 
young pigs. The cot can be used in early spring pastures or 

11 in fields that can not be reached from a central plant. How- 
ever, a hog farm equipped solely with cots requires much more 
labor than one with a continuous-type house. 

It will be seen that neither system offers ideal arrangement 
in itself, but a combination of the two would often seem the 
most judicious plan. Then the central house can be used for 
storing feeds and bedding, and for winter feeding, while for 
summer work the cots could be used to a greater extent. 



5l 






PRACTICAL CONVENIENCES AND SAFETY DEVICES. 

View. 

There are many devices that are simple in construction and 12 

valuable aids in managing the herd. The hurdle is valuable 13 

in driving; V-shaped trough in watering or feeding; the breed- 14 
ing crate in breeding; and the creep for feeding young pigs 

away from the sow or other older hogs*. The concrete feeding 15 

floor makes a good place to feed the hogs. It saves much grain 16 

and gives the pig a chance to eat clean wholesome food. Its 17 

saving of gram will soon pay for the cost of construction, 18 
which is the only cost it has. 

SANITATION AND DISEASE CONTROL. 

Sanitation in the hog house, lot, and herd is no small prob- 
lem. Swine are affected by many and serious diseases and 19 
parasites. Tuberculosis and cholera, lice, and mange take 
vast numbers of hogs and money value from swine growers 
each and every year. Thumps cause great loss in thrift in 
young pigs. Sunlight, dry clean beds, and plenty of exercise 
with nutritious foods are essential to a proper control or 20 
lessening of these losses. Dusty or damp sleeping quarters 
are especially favorable to disease infection, because they fur- 
nish a favorable place for germ life. Dipping furnishes an 
excellent means of controlling external parasites, and the dip- 
ping vat is an economical and convenient part of the equip- 21 
ment of any large piggery. The concrete dipping vat shown 
in view 21 is a permanent part of the equipment. Galvanized- 
iron vats are cheaper and easier to put up but do not last as 
long. 

The hog louse makes pigs unthrifty, and though the actual 22 
loss due to this cause can not be estimated because it rarely kills 
an animal, its annoyance to the pig is an important factor in de- 
creasing the rapidity with which gains are made. The louse is 
easily and effectively controlled by repeated dipping in almost 
any of the standard dips if they are used in strong solutions. 
If a vat is not available, one of the three following methods of 
treatment may be found to suit conditions: (1) Spraying with 
kerosene emulsion; (2) putting up a rubbing post filled with 
crude oil; or (3) putting crude oil or kerosene on the surface 
of the water in the pigs' wallowing vat. Mange is a serious 
though not so common parasite as the louse, and is best and 
most effectively treated by dipping. 

HOG CHOLERA. 

During the year ended March 31, 1913, the loss from disease of 
swine in the United States amounted to 110.1 perl, 000, or atotal 23 
number of 6,738,283. A conservative estimate shows that the 



view, yearly loss from cholera must amount to more than$18,000,000. 
Investigations of the United States Department of Agricul- 

24 ture have placed the people in a position to save all or a greater 
part of this cholera loss. These investigations have shown 
that hog cholera is caused by a microorganism of such minute 
size that even our most powerful microscopes do not enable 

25 us to determine its form or structure. By inoculating with 
hog-cholera serum a greater part of this enormous loss can bo 
prevented and swine growing be put on a safer basis. Cholem 
can not be cured, but the serum-inoculation method effectually 
prevents it. Serum is now prepared by most of the State 
experiment stations, and more than 1,000,000 hogs have been 
given protective inoculation with most satisfactory results. If 
hogs are not inoculated before the outbreak of cholera they 
should be as soon as possible after it is known. No new hog 
should be placed with the herd after arrival until it has been 
isolated at least two weeks, and in case of an outbreak of 
disease the unaffected hogs should be separated from the sick 
ones and placed in clean quarters as soon as possible. All 
dead hogs should be burned or buried so deeply that their 
carcasses will not be found by dogs, buzzards, crows, or other 
animals and the disease spread from them. 

SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK. 

26 The brood sow is the first animal to select in laying a founda- 
tion for a herd. The better she is the greater the chances for 
success. . A good brood sow must possess depth and length of 
body, a good heart girth, smooth shoulders, well-sprung ribs, 
and long, deep, well-turned hams. Her sides should be long, 
deep, and straight. A slightly arched, or straight, broad back 
is much desired, as it is much stronger than a low back. The 
back should carry its width and the side lines should be 
straight. She should stand up well on her toes and have 
smooth, straight joints with hard but not coarse bone, and 
must have feminine characteristics, which are indicated by a 
rather small head and ear, a fully developed, even udder, and 
absence of shields in the shoulders. A brood sow should show 
early maturing qualities and have sufficient capacity to do the 
work for which she is intended. A smooth coat of fine hair 
and a broad head with sufficient weight for her age are good 
indications of early maturity. If selecting more than one sow, 
uniformity of the lot is desirable and important. The nearer 
alike the sows the more probability of the pigs being uniform. 
If pure-bred sows are selected, breed type should be carefully 



observed. ' 'Breed type " means the characteristics of a breed, view. 
and will be discussed later. 

In selecting the herd boar the same points are essential, 27 
except that the animal should show masculinity. A strong, 
broad head and neck, sufficient bone, with strong, straight 
pasterns, hock, and knee joints, are important. He should 
show early maturing characteristics, and have well-developed 
testicles. Shields, or thick plates of skin, should not show 
on the sides of the shoulder before he is one year of age. A 
strong, slightly arched back, with large heart girth, is essen- 
tial in a first-class boar, for he must have room for the vital 
organs, namely, heart, lungs, etc. Remember that the boar is 
at least half of the herd as far as breeding is concerned, and 
he is usually more, so his selection can not command any 
too much care or patience. Get a good boar and he will pay 

you well. 

MANAGEMENT. 

BROOD SOW AND LITTER. 

The farrowing pen should provide a quiet, safe, and com- 28 
fortable place for the sow. Light, cleanliness, and freedom 
from dampness and drafts are essential. A guard rail should 
be provided to keep the sow from crushing the pigs. 

Feeding the sow so that she is properly nourished and not 
overfat is the most important of the herdsman's duties. She 
should have succulent feeds, such as pasture or forage in sum- 
mer, and in winter bran or other laxative feeds should be 
given, so that constipation and fever may be less likely to 
develop. 

At farrowing time no feed except a little bran gruel or oat- 29 
meal gruel should be given and only moderately warm water 
for a few days. A little bran or green feed can then be offered, 
and as the litter grows and all signs of fever leave, more con- 30 
centrated feeds may be given. Corn and other heating feeds 
should be fed in limited quantities for some time, but as the 
pigs grow and there is more demand on the sow she should be 
fed liberally. 

There is no place equal to good pasture for the brood sow 
and her litter. Alfalfa, clover, rape, oats, rye, vetch, peas, 31 
or native -pasture afford succulent nutritious feeds which keep 
both sow and pigs in good condition. Little pigs will learn 
to eat the forage with the sow at 10 days of age if they have 
some palatable pasture. 

Sunlight and clean, dry sleeping pens aid materially in 
starting the pigs off and in securing rapid, economical growth. 



32 Feed the sow well and teach the little pigs to eat as soon as 
possible. Cause both the sow and pigs to take plenty of 
exercise whether or not on forage or pasture crops. 

The dry sow or bred sow should be handled as economically 
as possible, so they should have pasture and be fed a well- 
balanced ration and just enough of it to keep them in good con- 
tion without permitting them to become fat. As farrowing 
time approaches the sows should be separated in order to pre- 
vent their crowding or injuring one another. 

THE HERD BOAR. 

The herd boar is best handled by giving him a pasture lot 
by himself. His feed should be liberal enough to keep him in 
good breeding condition only. This will be very light when 
he is not in use for breeding purposes, but during the breed- 
ing season his feed should be increased. His ration should 
consist of some high-protein feeds along with mill feeds and 
a little corn. The care of the boar is important because of 
his relative importance in the herd, and his care, quarters, feed, 
and watering should be carefully seen to and provided. 

SHOTES. 

The term shote is applied to all swine from the time the pig 
reaches weaning age until the fattening or breeding age is 
reached. Pigs should be weaned at from 8 to 13 weeks, 
depending on whether or not the sows are to be bred again. 
It is always wise to have them taught to eat well before wean- 
ing in order that the rate of gain may not be checked. Wean- 
ing should be done gradually, the sow's feed being reduced to 
cause her to dry up properly and at the same time increasing 

33 the feed for the pigs. The pig at this age should have a ration 
rather high in protein and low in carbohydrates. 

The boar pigs should be castrated after weaning but before 
they reach breeding age; usually a week or two after wean- 
ing is a satisfactory time. The loss in gains or by death 
is less if done while the pig is young. Spaying the females is 
not advisable under modern conditions and will not be found 
profitable enough to justify the risk of the operation. 

COST OF PRODUCTION— FEEDING. 

Cost of producing gains in pigs is influenced by a number of 
factors, chief among which are breeding, feed, water, exercise, 
shelter, mineral matter, disease, parasites, and environment. 
Intelligent feeding and sanitation include most of the essen- 
tials of success in making the production of pork profitable. 



In the first place, however, pork can not be profitably pro- view, 
chiced by the use of scrub breeding stock. But, given good 
pigs and careful, cleanly management, with proper feeding, 
pork production is a safe and profitable business proposition. 

There are three general classes of feeding, as follows : Dry-lot 
feeding; feeding on dairy by-products; and feeding on forage 
crops. In the following comparisons the rations were consid- 
ered properly balanced and the cost in each case was fair 
under the conditions. 

The Missouri Experiment Station reports that for five forage 
crops grown the average grain required to produce 1 pound 
gam was 3.54 pounds, while five dry-lot experiments required 
5.11 pounds grain for 1 pound gain, or a saving of 30.7 per cent 
of the grain for each pound gain when fed on forage. Gains on" 
forage crops, where $10 an acre was charged for rent, labor, 
seed, etc., cost 20 to 30 per cent less than gains made in the dry 
lot. Corn fed in the dry lots brought 66 cents per bushel, while 
that fed in forage brought 80 cents per bushel after rent and 
labor bills were paid. Skinner and Cochel, of the Indiana Ex- 
periment Station, state that "skim milk has proven to be the 
most efficient supplement to shelled corn or corn meal used in 
the experimental feed lots at the station for the past five years 
in fattening hogs." Kesults of numerous experiments seem to 
show that the best ratio to feed skim milk and corn is 3 to 1 for 
pigs under 100 pounds and less milk for larger pigs. 

By dry-lot feeding is meant feeding in confined pens ; pasture 
means native pasture, as blue grass, etc.; forage crops include 
alfalfa, and the crops which require to be planted each year; 
and dairy by-products are skim milk, whey, and buttermilk. 

The value of a ration depends on its meeting the needs of 
the animal to which it is .fed. A balanced ration is one in 
which is supplied enough but not too much food nutrients to 
supply the needs of an animal for 24 hours. 

A ration for a young, growing animal requires a larger per- 
centage of protein than one for fattening or for mature animals. 
As the shote increases in age and size the protein may be grad- 
ually cut down until the standard for a fattening hog is reached. 
Forage crops have been used more economically as a source 
of protein than purchased feeds and have the advantage of 34 
supplying it in a palatable, succulent form. Alfalfa probably 
furnishes the cheapest and best forage for swine when it can 
be grown. Even during winter alfalfa hay can be fed in racks 
and with ear corn furnishes a well balanced feed for almost 
all kinds of hogs. 



8 

View. 

35 Clover, cowpeas, soy beans, peanuts, rape, rye, oats, wheat, 
vetch, and Canada field peas are all valuable forage crops for 
swine of any age. The proper grain ration to feed with them 
consists of such feeds as corn, barley, etc., with the legumes, 
and with the nonlegume plants the use of a small percentage 
of tankage and oil meal will be found advisable. The amount 
to feed will depend on the rate of gain desired. If rapid gains 

36 are sought, a full ration of grain should be used", but if economy is 
more desirable smaller proportions of grain will be better, while 
if it is only desired to carry the pig crop over a period of low 
prices they can be kept on a minimum grain ration. It is best, 
however, to keep them growing, and to do this a small amount 
of grain, 2 or 3 per cent of five weight, will be found most satis- 
factory. According to tests at the Missouri station, forage crops 
proved their value for pork production. The test was con- 
tinued through three summers, and 10 pounds of gain were ac- 
credited to each bushel of corn before gains were accredited to 
forage crops. Grain was fed at the rate of 2 or 3 per cent of the 
weight of the hogs. Blue grass produced 295.2; alfalfa, 596.8; 
clover, 572.2; rape, oats, and clover, 394; sorghum, 370.5; 
cowpeas, 224.5; soy beans, 183.1; corn, 395.2; and rye grain, 
244.3 pounds for each acre pastured. Valuing this pork at 6 
cents per pound, alfalfa leads with $35.71 per acre per year; 

S7 clover is second with $34.11, followed by corn, rape, oats, clover, 
sorghum, blue grass, rye grain, cowpeas, and soy beans. No 
account was kept of the fertilizing elements left on the ground. 
Dry-lot rations that will give satisfactory returns are not 
easily obtainable. Corn is most often used as a basis of the 
ration. Mill feeds, shipstuff, bran, etc., with some protein 

B8 feed, as alfalfa, tankage, oil meal, soy beans, or cowpeas, should 
be used to balance the ration. Where milk is available, it can 
be used to advantage, as noted before. It is best to feed a full 

S9 ration, or what the pigs will clean up in a reasonably short 
time when in a dry lot. For a pig weighing 15 to 50 pounds 
live weight a full ration for. one day would be about 6 pounds 
of grain per 100 pounds weight, and for the larger pigs the 
ration will continue to grow smaller in proportion to weight 
until the 300 to 350 pound pig will only consume a daily ration 
equal to about 2.4 per cent of his weight. 

For feeding on native pasture a smaller percentage of protein 
is needed than in the dry lot, but some high-protein feed is 
still needed. Pasture feeding is better than dry-lot feeding 
under most conditions because it induces exercise and gives 
succulence to the ration, causing the animals to keep in better 



health, in this way. Blue-grass pasture is used extensively view. 
and is usually considered economical by the farmer. During 
the early season it is a valuable feed, and if some forage is pro- 
vided when the blue grass dries up it can be made to produce 
gains at a very low cost. 

FEEDING MINERAL MATTER. 

Mineral matter should be supplied the herd in the form of 
hardwood ashes, lime, finely ground rock phosphate, charcoal, 
and salt. These minerals are of value to the hog in keeping 
up his health and general vigor of constitution. They are 
needed to build the framework of the body and to develop 
young animals. The suckling sow, young pigs, shotes, and the . 
herd boar each profit from eating these substances. 

COST IN GAINS FROM BIRTH TO MATURITY. 

The little pig makes a pound of gain on less feed than the 
older pig or grown hog. The amount of grain to each pound 
of gain increases gradually until maturity. Henry gives the 
gains in live weight made per week as follows: 7.4 per cent for 
pigs under 100 pounds; 6 per cent for 100 to 150 pound pigs; 
5 per cent for 150 to 200 pound pigs; and decreasing to only 
3.1 per cent for 300 to 350 pound hogs. 

View 40, taken from a bulletin of the Wisconsin Experiment 
Station, gives the net gain and the cost of gain per pig from birth 
to maturity. Note that while the pig gains nearly four times 40 
as much, as shown by the first column, during the eighth period 
of four weeks as during the first four weeks the gain costs about 
three and one-half times as much per unit gained. The second 
column shows that it requires $1.17 worth of feed to produce 
100 pounds gain in the first four- week period and $4.20 to 
produce 100 pounds gain in the eighth four- week period. This 
table was made from the records of 86 pigs of Berkshire, Po- 
land-China, and razorback breeding. It shows clearly and 
accurately the relative cost of gains in young and older pigs 
and also the relative rapidity with which these gains were made. 

FARM ECONOMIES WITH SWINE. 

The pig's place on the farm can not be filled by any other 
animal. He is not only a profitable animal when grown as a 
crop in himself, but some very important places filled by him 
come from his ability to make use of feeds that would otherwise 
be lost. Thus he saves waste and utilizes materials around 
the farm which only he can use and converts these into a 
marketable product and cash. The pig is known as the 



10 

view, "mortgage lifter," and this appellation is certainly well 
deserved. 

Because of the pig's ability to utilize the grain droppings 
from steers, the pig often makes steer-feeding operations profit- 
able that would not prove so without his aid. Mumford 
reports in a summary of 10 different experiments that the 
gains made by pigs following steers paid for from 0.94 per 
cent to 16.67 per cent of the feed given the steers. These 
pigs were thrifty shotes and did not receive additional feed. 

Considering the relative economy of the different kinds of 
live stock, the pig takes a place among the most economical. 
For the whole fattening period the ox requires 1,109 pounds 
of dry feed to produce 100 pounds gain; the sheep, 912 pounds ; 
and the pig, 420 pounds. 

Among the classes of farm animals the pig ranks second as a 
producer of human food from a given amount of digestible 
matter consumed. The milch cow leads in her power to con- 
vert crops of the field into human food, with the pig second, 
poultry following, and the steer and sheep coming lowest. 

Feeding pigs on the farm has another value, and that is in 
relation to soil fertility. The man who feeds his grain to pigs 
sells a very small amount of fertilizing elements off of the farm 
as compared with the one who sells grain. Furthermore, in 
using forage or pasture crops the value of the manure scattered 
over the field is considerable. 

Swine farming, like other branches of live-stock farming, 
gives employment to labor during the entire year and enables 
the farmer to keep hired labor throughout the year and does 
not congest it at harvest time. The hog is the only farm ani- 
mal that can safely harvest the corn crop, and this practice is 
gaining ground from year to year among the most progressive 
farmers, resulting in no little saving of labor to the breeder 
who grows his own corn. 

TYPES OF HOGS. 

41 The lard or fat type of hog is the most common market type 

in the United States. In conformation he is a compact, thick- 
bodied hog on rather short legs. He is of a quiet disposition. 
The butcher desires a hog that will dress well and yield the 
largest percentage of high-priced cuts of meat. The breeder 
or feeder should endeavor to supply these, but he must have 
constitution and feeding capacity to make his operation profit- 
able. From the breeder's or farmer's point of view prolificacy 
and early maturity are most desirable. Good quality is wanted 
by both farmer and butcher and is indicated by the fine, silky 



11 

hair and smooth, mellow skin. The head should be broad and view. 
rather short; neck short and joining the shoulder without 
creases; jowl full but not flabby; and the shoulder smooth, 
deep, and well covered. The hog should have a broad, long, 
straight, or slightly arched back, with a deep, smooth covering 
of fat. The loin should be broad and strong and level with 
the back. Hams should be long, deep, thick, and well let down 
on the hock. The body should be long and deep, the ribs being 
well sprung and the sides thick and side lines straight. Condi- 
tion in the fat hog is important from the market standpoint. 
It is desired to have a thick, even covering of fat over the entire 
carcass, free from wrinkles or ties. Market demands vary, 
but a pig of 175 to 300 pounds usually will command ready 
sale at the best prices. 

The bacon type of hog is less common in the United States, 42 
but is grown almost exclusively in other countries, especially 
Denmark. The bacon-type pig is less compact and carries less 
fat than the f at-type pig. He is characterized by greater length 
and depth, relatively, and with longer head and lighter ham, 
shoulder, and jowl. The side is the main point emphasized 
in the bacon pig, and the shoulder and ham should be light and 
level with the side. Depth of body with moderate width is 
sought, and a smooth carcass with firm flesh is desired. The- 
head is longer and the pig stands on longer legs than the lard- 
type pig. The bacon pig should be marketed at 175 to 200 
pounds, and his weight should not be made up of fat, but rather 
of firm flesh. 

QUALITY AND CONDITION. 

Quality in the pig is indicated by fine hair and small, hard 43 
bone; fineness of parts in general indicating high quality. 
High quality is essential to secure the best market price. The 
butcher or packer wants a hog that will dress a high percentage 
of edible meat. This is not secured from a coarse, rough, or 
poorly fed hog. To secure as much quality as possible and 
still retain health, vigor, fecundity, and early maturity with 
good feeding qualities should be the aim of the feeder and 
breeder. Too fine quality must be carefully avoided, because 
it is usually accompanied by loss of the best breeding and 
feeding qualities. 

Condition in the lard hog is indicated by the covering of fat. 
The fat should *be even and thick over the entire carcass, and 
free from wrinkles and creases. Condition is desirable because 
it enhances the value of the hog. Condition in the bacon hog 
is indicated by a smooth, firm covering of flesh, and deposits 



12 

view, of fat are not wanted, but a mixing of fat and lean. There 
should be no wrinkles or ties in the flesh and the carcass is not 
wanted thick or heavy. 
44 View 44 represents the range in prices by months for mixed 

packing hogs on the Chicago market in the year 1912. This 
difference is caused by the quality and condition of the hogs 
offered for sale by the farmer. As can be seen, there is a 
difference of more than $1 per 100 pounds live weight 
most of the time during the year. If the farmer or breeder 
would breed for higher quality and feed till his hogs attained 
a higher finish before sending to market, he could easily change 
his product from the lower to the higher class. A herd boar 
that will sire pigs fit to go into the higher class will cost com- 
paratively little more than one that will sire pigs only good 
enough for the poorer market price, and the good boar will 
soon pay for his extra cost and return greater profits there- 
after. 

BREEDS. 

In studying, judging, or selecting breeding stock of pure 
breeding the first thing to remember is breed type. By breed 
type is meant the characteristics of the particular breed under 
study. Each breed of swine has a set standard of desirable 
points as to size, conformation, form, color, and disposition. 
There are some points in common in nearly all breeds, with 
enough variation to give one almost any kind of hog desired. 
4:5 The Poland-China is one of the extreme lard, or fat, type. It 

originated in Ohio, and is the most common breed of hogs in the 
UnitedStates. The Poland-China pigis black or black and white 
in color; has a short, broad head, with slightly dished face; the 
ears start strong, but break and drop about one-third of their 
length. The body is thick, broad, and compact, and deposits 
of fat are quite thick over the entire carcass. The hams and 
shoulders are heavy; the back is strong and broad, and its 
early maturing qualities are remarkably good. 

46 The Duroc- Jersey breed originated in the United States. 
It is a prolific breed and they are good feeders and mature 
early. The Duroc type of pig is of the fat, or lard, type and it 
is red in color. The ears are slightly larger and the face longer 

47 in some strains than in others, but the best' type has ears of 
moderate fineness and with a rather short, slightly dished, face. 

48 Chester White swine, also a United States breed, are of the 
lard, or fat, type. They have pendent ears and large, long 

49 bodies, and reach heavy weights. They are good feeders and 
breeders. It is a white breed, and only fairly numerous. 



13 

View. 

The Berkshire breed is of a medium to lard type, having 50 
length and depth with less width of body. They have erect 
ears and strongly dished face. This breed is of English 
origin and is black, with white feet and a little white in face 
and on tail, making "six white points." 

The Large Yorkshire is a white, bacon breed of English 51 
origin. A prolific breed and one- which attains large size. It 
is not an early maturing breed to any marked extent, but 
rather inclined to keep on growing. They have deep, long 
sides with rather narrow backs. The ears incline to be heavy 
and droop, but should be fine and not loppy. 

The Tamworth is a red hog of English origin. They are 52 
of the extreme bacon type; good grazers; long in head, leg,, 
and body, but having deep, long sides. The ears are large 
and erect or leaning foward. Its early maturing qualities are 
rather inferior, but it is a very prolific breed, and the sows are 
good mothers. 

The Hampshire is a hog of the bacon type, and it is usually 53 
black, with white belt about the body, but there are some plain 
black animals. This breed of bacon hogs is of somewhat 
obscure but undoubtedly American origin. It is very pro- 
lific and of medium size. The sides are of moderate length 
and depth, with rather light shoulders and hams. The quality 
of Hampshire pork is superior. 



APPENDIX. 



LANTERN SLIDES. 

No. of 
view. 

1. Sow and pigs. 

2. Hog house — central type. 

3. Ground plan of hog house shown in view 2. 

1. Practical central type hog house of moderate cost. 

5. Hog house, United States Experiment Farm, Beltsville, Md. Exterior. 

6. Hog house, United States Experiment Farm, Beltsville, Md. Interior. 

7. Individual pen to show concrete floor with wood overlay. 

8. Lovejoy hog cot. 

9. Lovejoy type of hog cot in use, St. Clair, Mich. 

10. Hog cot at United States Experiment Farm, Beltsville, Md. General view. 

11. Hog cot at United States Experiment Farm, Beltsville, Md. Shown open. 

12. Hurdles. 

13. V-shaped trough. 
11. Breeding crate. 

15. Device for hauling water. 

16. Handcart for hauling water or liquid food. 

17. Concrete feeding floor for hogs. 

18. Stanchion for ringing. 

19. Unsanitary hog house. 

20. Keep the house disinfected and sanitary. 

21. Dipping vat. 

22. The hog louse. 

23. One way that hog cholera is spread. 
21. Another bad condition. 

25. A better way. 

26. Poland-China sow in field condition. 

27. Duroc-Jersey boar in field condition. 

28. Farrowing pen. 

29. An unprofitable litter. 

30. A good sized profitable litter. 

31. Sow and pigs on rape and oats forage 

32. Creep and self feeders for little pigs. 

33. Pigs at weaning time on cowpeas. 
31. Pigs on oats and pea forage. 

35. Pasturing rye. 

36. Hogging down corn. 

37. Pigs on rape pasture. 

38. Rack for feeding alfalfa. 

39. Alfalfa rack in use. 

10. Table showing average net gain of each pig and average cost of feed for 100 

pounds gain from birth to maturity. 

11. Champion Berkshire barrows, Iowana Farms, Davenport, Iowa. 

12. Champion Tamworth sow — 1913 — bacon type. 

13. Quality pigs. 

11. Graphic chart of selling price of pigs on Chicago market. 

15. Champion Poland-China sow, "Beauty 2nd," W. J. Baker, Rich Hill, Mo. 

16. Duroc-Jersey sow, owned by Wallmeyer Bros., Melbourne, Iowa. 

17. Champion Duroc-Jersey boar, "Big Wonder," owned by O. P. Stevens, Ripley, 

Iowa. 

(14) 



15 

48. Champion Chester White sow, " Myrtle B," owned by Thomas Kent, Walnut, 

Iowa. 

49. Champion Chester White boar, owned by E. D. Summerville, Monroe, Iowa. 

50. Berkshire sow. 

51. Large Yorkshire sow. 

52. Champion Tamworth boar. 

53. Hampshire sow, "Pearl's Choice," International 1913. 

REFERENCES. 

Dairy By-products as Supplements to Corn for Fattening Hogs. Indiana Sta. Bui. 

137. 
Pork Production with Forage Crops. Missouri Sta. Bui. 95. 

The Food Requirements of Pigs from Birth to Maturity. Wisconsin Sta. Bui. 104. 
[Statistics of Agricultural Products.] U. S. Dept. Agr., Yearbook 1912, pp. 666, 700, 

726. 
[Statistics.] U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Statistics, Crop Reporter, February, April, and 

June, 1913. 
The Feeding of Farm Animals. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 22. 
Rape as a Forage Crop. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 164. 
Pig Management. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 205. 
Canadian Field Peas. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 224. 
Forage Crop Practices in Western Oregon and Western Washington. U. S. Dept. Agr., 

Farmers' Bui. 271. 
A Successful Hog and Seed-corn Farm. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 272. 
Cowpeas. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 318. 

Forage Crops for Hogs in Kansas and Oklahoma. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 331. 
Alfalfa. IT. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 339. 
The Computation of Rations for Farm Animals by the Use of Energy Values. U. S. 

Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 346. 
Soy Beans. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 372. 
Hog Cholera. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 379. 
Feeding Hogs in the South. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 411. 
The Peanut. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 431. 
Hog Houses. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 438. 
Red Clover. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 455. 

The Use of Concrete on the Farm. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 461. 
Concrete Construction on the Live-stock Farm. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 481. 
Sweet Clover. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 485. 
Vetches. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 515. 
Boys' Pig Clubs. U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 566. 

FORMULAS. 

Formula for kerosene emulsion. — Dissolve | pound hard soap in 1 gallon boiling 
water. Add 2 gallons kerosene and stir for 10 minutes. Dilute to 20 gallons and 
spray. 

Formula for arsenical dip. — A self -boiled arsenical dip recommended by the Bureau 
of Animal Industry of this department is prepared as follows: 

In a 5-gallon metal kettle or pail place 4 pounds of dry granulated caustic soda (not 
less than 85 per cent pure) ; add 1 gallon of cold water, and stir with a stick until the 
caustic soda is practically all dissolved. Have ready 10 pounds of finely powdered 
white arsenic, and without delay add it in portions of a pound or two at a time, as fast 
as it can be dissolved without causing the solution to boil, stirring all the time. If the 



16 

liquid begins to boil spontaneously, stop stirring and let it cool slightly before adding 
more arsenic. The secret of success is to work in the arsenic fast enough to keep the 
solution very hot, nearly but not quite at the boiling point. The result should be a 
clear solution, except for dirt. If the liquid persistently remains muddy or milky it 
may be because the operation has been conducted so fast that much water has been 
boiled out and salts are beginning to crystallize, so add another gallon of water and stir. 
If the solution does not then clear up, the caustic soda must have been very low grade, 
and the undissolved substance must be arsenic. In that case put the kettle over the 
fire heat nearly but not quite to boiling, and stir. As soon as solution of arsenic is 
complete, dilute to about 4 gallons, add 10 pounds of sal soda, and stir until dissolved. 
Cautions: It is necessary to avoid splashing. Hence never work hurriedly; stir 
deliberately and regularly; do not dump in the arsenic and sal soda, but carefully slide 
it in from a grocer's scoop held close to the side of the pail and to the surface of the 
liquid. Perform the whole operation in a well-ventilated place, and avoid inhaling 
steam. Have all materials ready to hand before starting. Keep caustic soda tightly 
closed from air. 

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